ThomasMarkleSnr, 74, said he was “upset” by an apparent tirade from Prince Harry, 33, which came during his recovery from a heart attack, according to the former recluse.

Mr Markle said as a result of the prince’s “rude” call he slammed the phone down on him, though he has now admitted that Harry was “absolutely right” to challenge him.

Mr Markle spoke out again in what he has vowed to be his last ever interview.

Mr Markle said: “Harry told me that I should never go to the press.

“That it would end in tears.

“He said, ‘They will eat you alive’.

“He was right.”

Instead of taking the advice of his new son-in-law, who Mr Markle has never even met, he has taken part in a number of interviews in the wake of being caught out for staging series of pictures with the paparazzi that raked in £100,000.

Mr Markle claimed the money from the fake snaps of him being measured for a suit, of him pretending to get in shape for the wedding and of him sat in a cafe reading up on the royal family, was divided between him and the photographer.

After obtaining shock CCTV footage of the plot, the publication approached Kensington Palace with the revelation, which triggered a call from an irate Prince Harry to Mr Markle.

Mr Markle claims he told Harry: “Maybe it would be better for you guys if I was dead, then you could pretend to be sad.”

He then said he put the phone down.

In hindsight, Mr Markle said Harry was right to chastise him.

He said: “I’m not mad at Harry.

“I’m not mad at Meghan. I love them.

“I wish them well.”

He pulled out of his daughter’s Windsor wedding on May 19 (Image: GETTY)

When the staged pictures scandal broke, Mr Markle claims he suffered a heart attack and was admitted to hospital – despite being pictured lugging a six-pack of beers out of an off licence the day after.

He pulled out of his daughter’s Windsor wedding on May 19 leaving Prince Charles to walk her down the aisle at the eleventh hour.